- PRESS RELEASE -
SAULT STE. MARIE, CANADA, AUGUST 13, 2018: Today PUC Distribution, the designated electricity Local Distribution Company (LDC), for the City of Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario, Canada, together with its operating affiliate PUC Services, announced they are partnering with Fluence, a global energy storage technology and services company, to bring innovative energy management solutions to their largest customers. The partnership should result in both cost savings on these customers’ monthly energy bills and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Fluence, a market leader in energy storage solutions jointly owned by Siemens and The AES Corporation, will work with PUC Services to help better manage energy delivery during peak demand, while contributing to Canada’s strict new federal carbon reduction mandates.
Fluence will provide their energy storage technology and accompanying engineering, procurement and construction services for a variety of energy management solutions. Together the companies will focus on helping business customers to shift their energy consumption away from periods of high demand to those times when energy use is lower.
This shift will reduce the need for additional peak-period generation powered by fossil fuels, enabling companies to utilize more energy generated by zero-carbon and lower-cost sources such as nuclear and renewables such as wind and solar.
“We are always looking for innovative ways to help our customers save money and reduce their carbon footprint,” said Rob Brewer, CEO of PUC Services. “This partnership provides us with a slate of important new tools, including large-scale energy storage and management solutions, to further that goal.” Fluence brings to the partnership over a decade of experience deploying industrial-grade energy storage solutions, with over 575 MW of projects deployed or awarded in 16 countries.
Fluence will provide technical oversight of the program and deliver sophisticated energy management options to electricity customers. “Combining a strong local presence in Canada through Siemens and global expertise helping businesses manage energy costs with storage, our team stands ready to put what we’ve learned to work in Canada,” said Dan Wishnick, Managing Director at Fluence. “We’re excited to work with a forward-thinking municipality like Sault Ste. Marie on this innovative program and offer innovative energy storage options that drive down costs for businesses in the region.”
“This is a great step forward for our city. It will make doing business in Sault Ste. Marie less costly than anywhere else in the province of Ontario,” said Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Christian Provenzano. “An announcement like this so shortly after the Smart Grid project announcement sends a pretty clear message that not only is Sault Ste. Marie open for business – but it is a community that isn’t afraid to embrace innovative industries or projects.”
This effort supports the government of Canada’s target to reduce GHG emissions by 80% by 2050 relative to 2005 levels, which was announced in late 2017 as part of its renewal and expansion of greening government operations. This partnership is the first of its kind in North America, and will give PUC Distribution, PUC Services and their customers a new set of powerful tools to meet those ambitious goals while delivering savings to business customers on their energy costs.
“I am excited to work with partners like PUC and Fluence to help address issues like carbon emissions with innovative technologies that better utilize existing grid resources, while at the same time minimizing costs to electricity users. Its projects like this that will make Ontario a more affordable and competitive place to do business,” says Ross Romano, Sault Ste. Marie MPP.
About PUC Services Inc.:
PUC Services Inc. is a utility services company headquartered in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Its mission is to safely deliver competitive, high-quality utility-related services while earning a fair return for its shareholders. The company provides management and administration services, in addition to operating, engineering, construction, and maintenance of municipal electricity distribution, drinking water production and distribution and municipal wastewater treatment.
PUC Services is a private Ontario business corporation wholly owned by the City of Sault Ste. Marie. It operates, maintains, constructs and manages the electricity distribution assets of PUC Distribution Inc. under a long-term management contract. The company also has long-term contracts with the Public Utilities Commission of the City of Sault Ste. Marie to operate the water treatment and distribution systems in Sault Ste. Marie. The company also operates and maintains the City’s sewage treatment plants as well as other municipal electric distribution systems, drinking water systems and wastewater systems across northern Ontario.
As the successor company to the former Public Utilities Commission (better known as “the PUC”) of the City of Sault Ste. Marie, PUC Services has constructed, operated, maintained and managed the electric and water supplies for the City of Sault Ste. Marie since 1917.
About PUC Distribution Inc.:
PUC Distribution is a subsidiary of PUC Inc., a private company registered under the Ontario Business Corporations Act, wholly owned by the Corporation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie. PUC distributes electricity to residences and businesses within the boundaries of the City of Sault Ste. Marie as well as parts of Prince Township, Dennis Township and the Rankin Reserve. PUC Distribution Inc. is a provincially regulated Local Distribution Company (LDC).
About Fluence
Fluence, a Siemens and AES company, is a global energy storage technology solutions and services company that combines the agility of a technology company with the expertise, vision, and financial backing of two industry powerhouses. Established in 2018, as the successor to industry pioneers AES Energy Storage and Siemens energy storage, Fluence’s goal is to create a more sustainable future by transforming the way we power our world. The company offers proven energy storage technology solutions designed to address the diverse needs and challenges of customers in a rapidly transforming energy landscape, providing design, delivery and integration in over 160 countries. Fluence works closely with customers during every step of their journey and provides advisory, financing, and project lifecycle services. To date, Fluence’s teams have deployed or been awarded projects totaling over 575 MW in 16 countries. To learn more, please visit http://fluenceenergy.com and follow Fluence on Twitter at @FluenceEnergy.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Giordan Zin, PUC Services Inc., 705-759-1551, giordan.zin@ssmpuc.com
Steven Goldman, Fluence, 703-721-8673, steven.goldman@fluenceenergy.com
